Construction starts on DemonstraThor: new test environment for energy innovation in Genk

“New energy solutions not only need to be developed, but also tested under conditions that reflect real-world applications. With DemonstraThor, we provide companies and researchers with the space to validate technologies and shorten the path towards concrete applications,” says Patrice Fleurquin, General Manager of Open Thor Living Lab.

Three concrete innovation challenges

DemonstraThor focuses, among other things, on three key challenges in the energy transition.

High-power charging for electric trucks

The electrification of road freight introduces large new electricity consumers. High power requirements and specific charging profiles place new demands on the electricity grid, while also creating opportunities for smart charging and flexibility. DemonstraThor will enable solutions for high-power charging and their impact on the energy system to be tested in practice.

Next-generation energy-efficient data centres

The growth of data centres is driving up electricity demand while also changing the way these facilities interact with the electricity grid. The DC Test Platform within DemonstraThor provides space to develop and demonstrate new electrical architectures and technologies for energy-efficient and flexible data centres.

Flexible and innovative low-temperature thermal networks

Decarbonising heat is also essential to the energy transition. CollecThor operates at low network temperatures and combines technologies including heat pumps, geothermal energy and smart control. DemonstraThor will provide opportunities to further develop and test new technologies and business models for flexible thermal networks.

A space for collaboration

DemonstraThor brings electricity, heat, energy storage and digital control together in a single test environment. Companies working on areas including charging infrastructure, power electronics, data centres, energy storage, thermal networks or digital control can test their solutions in a real-world environment and further develop them together with researchers and other partners.

DemonstraThor is part of the Open Thor Living Lab at Thor Park, where companies, researchers and public partners collaborate on solutions for the energy transition. The project is one of the initiatives included in the investment programme for the further expansion of the living lab, which was approved by the Flemish Government in 2024.

EnergyVille, one of the founding partners of the Open Thor Living Lab, is based at Thor Park. “The energy transition gains momentum when we reduce the distance between research, the lab and the market. DemonstraThor and the Open Thor Living Lab do exactly that. Here, we can test and validate new energy solutions in a real-world environment. This allows us to demonstrate their effectiveness more effectively and accelerate the scale-up of innovations,” says Bram De Wispelaere, General Manager of EnergyVille.

DemonstraThor at a glance

• Location: Thor Park, Genk
• Area: 4,400 m²
• Test infrastructure: 6 test locations with access to a DC electricity grid and low-temperature thermal network
• Applications: energy storage, charging infrastructure, renewable energy, smart buildings and industrial applications
• Project partners: EnergyVille, Thor Park NV, City of Genk and Flemish Government
• Investment: €3.2 million, as part of the investment programme for the expansion of the Open Thor Living Lab
• Construction period: August 2026 – December 2027
• Operational: January 2028
• Construction partners: Signum+ / Ingenium, Gebroeders Janssen bv, ATS nv